Thief’s Magic

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ebook of Thief’s Magic by Trudi Canavan! This story is told in alternating points of view – Tyen’s and Rielle’s.

Tyen is at an archeological site when he discovers a living book – a person (Vella) transformed into a book by a powerful sorcerer. He took her knowledge and flesh and literally made her into a book and used her skin for the cover and pages, hair for the binding and tendons for the glue. At this point I was very interested in the book! When it abruptly stopped and changed to Rielle’s story, I was a little thrown. I wasn’t sure why the transition took place.

Rielle’s story is completely different from Tyen’s. Rielle is middle class but she and her family believe that it will be difficult for her to find a husband. She falls in love with an artist but is afraid to use magic to prevent pregnancy. Magic is forbidden in her world.

I rate Thief’s Magic three stars because it’s difficult to see a correlation between Tyen’s and Rielle’s stories and because of the abrupt change from one story to the next. Maybe reading the rest of the series would help tie the two worlds together better?